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How To Become a Welder in California in 3 Steps

2/16/2023

Welding can be an exciting career that involves shaping metals and creating various structures and objects.

What does it take to prepare for this trade? To become a welder in California, it is recommended to have a high school diploma or GED diploma, as many training programs and apprenticeships require it. Enrolling in a welding program can help students learn the fundamentals of welding and gain skills needed for entry-level jobs.

Universal Technical Institute (UTI) has a welding school in Southern California that teaches students four major welding processes and provides hands-on training. UTI graduates with a welding diploma have opportunities to pursue welding jobs in California and can potentially find part-time work while still in school.1

Students can learn four major welding processes and get the hands-on training needed to become a welding technician.

Continue reading to learn more! Below, we’ll recommend a game plan on how to pursue a career in welding in California.

3 Steps To Become a Welder in California

1. Get a high school or GED diploma

Becoming a welder in California doesn’t have an exact timeline, especially since welders in California are not required to have a high school diploma to work. However, many welding training programs and apprenticeships require high school diplomas or GED diplomas.

Individuals without diplomas may have a hard time qualifying for many trade programs or job openings in the state, even if they do have great welding potential. That’s because these documents show employers that a candidate has enough critical thinking, reasoning and discipline to follow an organized curriculum.

If you don’t have a high school or GED diploma, that’s an important first step to start a welding journey in California!

Read more: You Can Go Places with a Career in Welding

2. Enroll in a welding program

Welding programs teach students the fundamentals of welding and provide them with the resources and lab time needed to practice these skills. Doing so can help them get used to the types of tasks found in entry-level welding jobs after graduation.

How To Become a Welder in California in 3 Steps

UTI is one of the welding schools in California! Our Welding Technology program is designed to take 36 weeks to complete. That’s less than nine months! Graduates of our California welding programs earn diplomas and learn four types of welding:

Read more: How to Become a Certified Welding Inspector

3. Pursue employment

Students at UTI complete welding courses that were developed with the help of Lincoln Electric, a leader in welding technology. Their guidance and expertise help us ensure that students receive training that can help them prepare for post-graduation welding jobs.

A welding diploma can also help our graduates pursue welding in California. This is because trade school credentials indicate that they are well-versed in the fundamentals of welding needed to handle the job’s mandated responsibilities.

UTI students and graduates can also take advantage of our Career Services department dedicated to providing resources and guidance to help them pursue part-time and full-time jobs!

Read more: How to Create Your Welding Resume: Examples and Tips

California Welder Job Outlook

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the estimated annual job openings for welders, cutters, solderers and brazers is over 42,000 in the United States.42 Training to become a welder at UTI can help students prepare for careers in a variety of industries. Most welders start out working in entry-level roles. As with any industry, over time, welders may be able to advance in their career with experience and hard work.77

Some entry-level and advanced roles might include:

Entry-level

  • Welder
  • Fabrication welder
  • Welder fitter
  • Wirer

Advanced

  • Inspector
  • Quality control
  • Certified welding inspector
  • Welding project manager

Salary

According to the BLS, the median pay for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers in the U.S. was $48,940 annually as of May 2023.26 This means half of welders earned more and half earned less. Keep in mind that salary depends on several factors, including experience, employer, demand and cost of living in the area. 

Demand

In terms of the demand for welders, the BLS projects that total national employment for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers will exceed 437,000 by 2032.50

Job description

Welders fuse metal parts together to create structures and parts. This can be useful for things like repairing tools, completing construction tasks, manufacturing machinery and much more!

A welder’s main responsibilities typically include the following:

  • Join and cut metal parts
  • Fill seams, indentations and holes in metal products
  • Study sketches, specifications and blueprints
  • Calculate dimensions of parts to be welded
  • Inspect materials and structures for welding
  • Use power supplies and torches
  • Maintain welding equipment and machinery

Study Up and Learn How To Become a Welder in California!

Technical training can be valuable for anyone wanting to learn how to become a welder in California! If you’re set on pursuing a welding career in this state, come back here for a refresher on the process.

Universal Technical Institute’s 36-week Welding Technology program teaches students the fundamentals of the trade and can help them prepare for a welding career in California. UTI also has relationships with a number of manufacturers! These relationships mean students have access to equipment that mirrors the industry, which can help them prepare for exciting career opportunities after graduation.

Excited to start learning at one of our Universal Technical Institute California campuses? Once you find a location near you, apply to our welding school!

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1 ) UTI is an educational institution and cannot guarantee employment or salary.
2 ) For program outcome information and other disclosures, visit www.uti.edu/disclosures.
26 ) UTI’s Welding Technology Training Program prepares graduates for entry-level positions using the provided training, primarily as welders. Estimated annual salary shown above is for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers as published in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2023 Occupational Employment and Wages. Entry-level salaries are lower for graduates. UTI is an educational institution and cannot guarantee employment or salary. Graduates’ achievements may vary. Individual circumstances and wages depend on economic factors, personal credentials, work experience, industry certifications, the location of the employer, and their compensation programs. Some UTI graduates get jobs within their field of study in positions other than as a welding technician, such as inspector and quality control. Salary information for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts: The average annual entry-level salary range for persons employed as Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers (51-4121) in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is $40,060 (Massachusetts Labor and Workforce Development, May 2022 data https://lmi.dua.eol.mass.gov/lmi/OccupationalEmploymentAndWageAllIndustries/OEWResult?A=01&GA=000025&OG=514121&Dopt=TEXT). Salary information for North Carolina: The U.S. Department of Labor estimates the hourly median wage for skilled welders in North Carolina is $23.38 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, May 2023 Occupational Employment and Wages, Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers). The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish entry-level salary data. However, the 25th and 10th percentile of hourly earnings in North Carolina are $20.82 and $18.17, respectively.
42 ) For Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects an annual average of 45,800 job openings between 2023 and 2033. Job openings include openings due to net employment changes and net replacements. See Table 1.10 Occupational separations and openings, projected 2023–33, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, viewed November 4, 2024. UTI is an educational institution and cannot guarantee employment or salary.
50 ) The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that total national employment for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers will be 463,800 by 2033. See Table 1.2 Occupational projections, 2023–33, and worker characteristics, 2023, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, viewed November 4, 2024. UTI is an educational institution and cannot guarantee employment or salary.
77 ) UTI is an educational institution and cannot guarantee employment or salary. UTI prepares graduates for entry-level careers using the provided training. UTI graduates’ achievements may vary. Some UTI graduates get jobs within their field of study in positions other than those listed.

Universal Technical Institute of Illinois, Inc. is approved by the Division of Private Business and Vocational Schools of the Illinois Board of Higher Education.

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